The FDA and the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recently changed the guidelines for early cancer detection for breast cancer from 50 years old to now begin at the age of 40 for those with an average risk of breast cancer.
In this episode of Prescribed Listening, host Tessa Lackey discusses those changes to breast cancer screening guidelines, as well as genetic testing and your overall cancer risk with Dr. Danae Hamouda, with UTMC oncology and hematology.
Hamouda said that this change in age from to 50 to 40 could have something to do with an increase in women in their 40s being diagnosed with breast cancer. She also said this update helps to acknowledge the disparities in screening.
“Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women and are more likely to be diagnosed in their 40s,” she said. “Prior to the age of 50, compared to non-Hispanic white women, minority women are 127% more likely to die of breast cancer, 72% more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer and 58% more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer.”
Hamouda also discussed ways you can understand your breast cancer risk and said one way to reduce your risk for breast cancer is through exercise.
“We would recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise,” she said. “The more, the better. Exercise, exercise, exercise. If we could put that in a pill and prescribe that for cancer risk reduction, that would be my number one prescription.”
Also part of the podcast discussion was genetic testing and how to know if it would be right for you. Hamouda emphasized to have this discussion with your primary care doctor, and that it’s an option available to patients at UTMC if they would like to be tested.
To review this episode and the podcast’s entire library of episodes, go to the UTMC Prescribed Listening website.
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